Cuban espresso shot pulled with sugar (the cafecito), then pulled long with hot steamed milk. Tampa's morning ritual on every Cuban counter from West.

Cafe con leche arrived with Cuban immigrants to Tampa in the 1880s and has run on every Cuban counter in the city since. The Cuban method (the cafecito): pull espresso through a stovetop moka pot, dump the first dark shot over sugar in a cup, beat with a spoon until pale brown and frothy (espumita), then top with the rest. Cafe con leche extends this with steamed milk. La Teresita on Columbus Drive has poured cafecito since 1972; Versailles in Miami serves the same. Tampa's daily Cuban coffee culture is the longest-running unbroken food tradition in the city.

Where to eat Cafe con Leche (Cuban coffee with milk) in Tampa

5 editor picks for Cafe con Leche (Cuban coffee with milk) in Tampa, ranked by editorial score. All Tampa signature dishes · Cafe con Leche (Cuban coffee with milk) across every city.

Make it at home

Serves 28 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 30g dark-roast espresso ground coffee (Cafe Bustelo or Pilon for tradition)
  • Water for the moka pot
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 240ml whole milk

Method

  1. Fill the bottom chamber of a 6-cup moka pot with water to just below the safety valve. Add ground coffee to the basket and tamp lightly with a spoon. Assemble.
  2. Put 2 tablespoons sugar in a separate small cup or pitcher.
  3. Heat moka pot on medium until coffee starts to flow. As soon as the first dark drops come through (the cafecito), pour them over the sugar.
  4. Beat the sugar and dark coffee with a spoon vigorously until pale and frothy (espumita).
  5. Let the rest of the moka pot brew, then add to the sugar mixture and stir.
  6. Heat milk to just below simmer. Pour the sweetened coffee into two cups, then top with hot milk in roughly equal proportions. Serve immediately.

Editor tip. The espumita (sugar foam) is the Cuban touch and what distinguishes a real cafe con leche from a regular latte. Don't skip the sugar-beating step.

Common allergens: Dairy.